Pretence
by MountainHive
Summary: You smoked?" I practically shouted at him. "You know that thing is bad for your lungs and it kills you slowly. Why are you taking it, Natsume?"


**Pretence  
**_by MountainHive_

"You smoked?" I practically shouted at him. "You know that thing is bad for your lungs and it kills you slowly. Why are you taking it, Natsume?"

* * *

"Natsume," I called out to him in front of his group of friends.

He turned his gaze to me and his eyebrows scrunched up yet again whenever I call out his name in public. He then ignored me totally and faced back to his group without sparing me a second glance.

I pursed my lips, brought my books back up onto my chest and walked towards my class. For the past three years, he had always acted that way to me. We grew up together, we walked home together, we do everything together but after a few years back, when he got up with his group of _popular_ friends, he would never speak to me anymore in public, or at least – in front of his friends.

On our way home every day, he would always leave me a message to wait for him a few roads away from school. I knew what he thought of me then. He didn't want his friends to know that we walk home together. He would feel _humiliated _being near me.

But today, I can't stand it anymore. It's just not fair to me. Just because I'm friends with the _most_ _unpopular_ gang in school, it doesn't give him the right to trample on my emotions this way. What is he? God?

School ended and yet again, I was told to wait for him two roads away from the school gate. I waited for close to an hour and finally he appeared, running towards my direction with an apologetic look.

"Sorry to have you waiting," he said and I nodded at him. "Guess what, Tsubasa brought this illegal stuff to school earlier, you know – _cigarette_? Yeah, that. So, he asked whether we were brave enough to try it out. Obviously, you know me, I never back out. And, guess what, wow. It's intoxicating. My body feels so hot and –"I cut him off by stopping my tracks and turned to face him.

"You smoked?" I practically shouted at him. "You know that thing is bad for your lungs and it kills you slowly. Why did you take it, Natsume? It's not like you had never learned about the bad effects of smoke before!"

"Hey, I was curious. You can't stop someone from being curious, can you?" he fought back.

"You know, since you started going out with this popular gang of yours, you've been into this _useless and bad habits and stuff_. You started watching porn, you started going to night clubs and drinking there and now – smoking? How much worse can you get?" I asked, pissed that a friend that I've known for a long time now is turning into one sick _imbecile_!

"Please don't start the argument about the _popular_ gang again, and watch your language" he went on.

"Don't talk to me about language and being rude. Think about it yourself, first!" It was then I started noticing that we were standing right in the middle of the road. I took his hand and dragged him to the side of the road. He jerked his hand away from mine and when he did that, I saw a plaster between his arm and hand.

I grabbed his hand again and pointed at that plaster. "What is this? Where did you get hurt?" I asked him. Yes, I know I sound like a mother to him, but I can't stand it when part of me knew what he was up to.

"Drugs," he said nonchalantly.

"Natsume," I huff out his name. "Drugs! Do you have any idea what you just got yourself into?" I questioned. "Do you know how worried I am for you?"

"I don't give a damn. It's none of your damn business anyway. I'm getting good grades, I'm active in sports, and I have a stable girlfriend. Everything's perfect for me. What is there for me to regret?" he blurted. He was no longer the Natsume I knew from years ago.

"You're no longer the same person I knew from years back," I whispered and he turned his head away from me.

"Neither are you," he said and I dropped his hand.

"I see. Well, it _is_ your future and there's nothing I can do about it, right?" I asked but he didn't say a word. "Alright, whatever. I don't think we should be walking home together anymore either. I do not wish to be seen walking together with some drug addict or a smoker. It kills me to know that it is currently happening," I spat and walked away from him.

I knew I was being harsh, but it is the truth. I can't stand it. Whatever that's happening to him, especially when I knew in my heart, that I was screaming the fact that I love him.


End file.
